I am going to start posting some of my best for ensuring that Challenge Penticton or whatever race you have coming up is a success. Let me know if you have any questions of topics you would like covered.

The first race on my
trip was the Subaru West Coast Series Saskatoon race.The race was the biggest triathlon
Saskatchewan has ever had.It was
awesome to be a part of that.
At the pre-race meeting everyone was thrown a curveball when they announced it
would be a wetsuit less swim. The only race kit that I had with my
sponsors logos on it was a slow swimming (Think swimming with a T-shirt
on) two piece kit. This meant I had to be like Magic Mike,
shave down and go bare-chested. With that much skin showing the TV
production might get picked up by Showtime for late night TV. We’ll
actually, the paleness of my body probably blinded the TSN cameras, so if
there is no footage of the swim… my bad.

The Race was a chase format which meant that the girls had a twelve and a half
minute head start and there were bonuses if you caught them. This makes
for great TV and a fun race experience. During the race I have never had
a chance to think about catching the girls, because every time I have been in a
back and forth dogfight with one of the other guys. In 2011 I had an epic
battle with Steve Kilshaw, in 2012 it was with Andrew McCartney and this year
it was with my fellow UBC alumni Andrew Russell!

Photo: Lance Watson

The swim went well and I got on Andrew Russell’s feet. Brent McMahon went
off the front and that was the last we saw of him. Brent is a hell of an
athlete and a great bench mark for where I want to get to in the next couple of
years. I came out of the water with Andrew and we and entered the second
transition side by side. This is where the two piece suit is a serious
disadvantage. It is almost impossible to get a tri top on while
wet. The other elite all had fast swimming one piece ITU style
suits. I wrestled with suit for a while and hopped on bike doing up the
zipper while riding. Cost me about 30 seconds and is guaranteed to make
the TSN coverage where Paul Regensberg will talk about how awful my transition was.

I started cranking off some solid watts and the Orbea felt awesome. I
quickly caught up to a couple people, guys girls who knows everyone looks the
same in tri suits and bike helmets… When passing someone on the bike, you
always make sure to pass hard, except when the TV motorbikes are beside you
then you pass really freaking hard! The ride was ridiculously fast and
every time I looked at my speedometer I saw high 40’s and low 50's. It
was awesome! It made the long straight prairie roads feel like only kind of
long straight prairie roads. I caught up to Andrew Russell and we traded
metaphorical blows and came into the transition together. I made up for
terrible T1 with an awesome T2. Like most long course athletes I am
normally terrible at T2, but since switching to the Asics Noosa Fast, my
transition are right up there with the best of them.

The run on this course was amazing. Two beautifully scenic loops 5k loops
along the river and over two long bridges. Between the bridges and the
river bank there was a great mix of hills, wind and fast sections. Throw
in the 30+ degree weather and it was a perfectly hard run. Much like the
bike, Andrew and I went back and forth passing Karen Thibodeau and Sara Gross
along the way to move into third overall for the chase. I managed to pull
away from Andrew for good on the last lap and finished third behind Brent and
Magali Tisserye. They had a really close finish which should make for
some great TV.

Photo Lance Watson

Overall the race was another solid results. And I am definitely happy with it
coming off no taper, the consistency of my training this year is really paying
off. I am also happy with the consistency of my execution so far this
year. I am still making mistakes, but this year I been able to deal with
those mistakes quickly and make good decisions

Photo: Roger Hospedales

I want to say a big thanks to my friend Jamie Epp for giving me a place to
stay. I had a great time and look forward to coming back next year.

I had a blast this weekend helping out with Asics and running in the ScotiaBank Half Marathon. I gave a couple of talks at the Pre Race Expo where I focused on my top 10 tips to ensure race day success. The event was incredible and afterwards I realized I forgot a some key pointers that I thought I would share.

#1 Use proper equipment

I am talking to you Vibram five finger wearers! I can’t even imagine the post race soreness that would surely follow running down Spanish Banks in those aqua socks. Do you legs a favor, go to a running store and a get a pair of respectable running shoes. If you really want to get in touch with the natural running get a pair of Asics Gel-Lyte 33 2’s or something that takes the sting off the pavement and keeps you off the injury list.

#2 Don’t run with a backpack.

Seriously, unless you are planning on seeing two sunrises during the same race, leave the Camelbak at home. The Scotia Bank Half had an army of amazing volunteers whose sole purpose was to hand you awesome chilled Powerbar beverages and PowerGels. Check out the race website to find out what nutrition will be on course and practice with that for a few sessions leading up to the race so you don’t have to pack everything with you.

Marathon Des Sables = Backpacks Okay

#3 Use Vaseline to stop chafing.

If you have practiced with your equipment and think there might be even the slightest chance for chafing throw a little Vaseline on. You can spot a chafing grimace and struggling stride a mile away. Looks like someone just used a tequila and gin concoction for mouth wash. I have been there before…. The chafing not the tequila, and a little Vaseline/body glide would have gone long way.

Little kid Sour Face, very similar to marathon chafing face.

#4 High five someone immediately after finishing.

There is no better feeling than a solid high five after a hard run race. It can be with your supporters cheering you on or someone you just had a epic battle with out on the race course. Even if you cut them off at every corner, hit them with a snot rocket (unintentionally of course) and took every cup at the aid stations, they will still appreciate the camaraderie that comes with pushing each other to new limits. Plus the more you celebrate your successes the more likely you will have successes to celebrate. It’s science….I think. I was a business major….

Race Directors, always a great high five option

#5 Plan out how you are getting to start line before race day.

Public transportation can be a disaster at that time in the morning. You are either mingling with the still awake and drunk late night bar crowd or, the bus may be full of spandex wearing (or is that just me?) fellow runners leaving you stranded 10 miles from race start. *Hitchhiking tip: If you flag someone down, make sure the other people getting in the car with you aren’t totally crazy. Thanks Kevin from Burnaby for the ride!

#6 Become a Spectator...or a Dancing Queen

There is nothing more enjoyable post race than grabbing a handful of cowbells and cheering on your fellow runners… except if you are this guy, then proceed to the Dance floor and do your thing! Props to Ron for breaking the World Record for most Asics Cowbells handed out at one event!

I may have gotten in on the action

Thanks to the Canadian Running Series Team for putting on a great event. I am looking forward to coming back next year. Also a huge thanks to my team,
Asics, Powerbar, Ryders, Shimano, Pro, Orbea, Orca and the Bike Barn. Also big thanks to Yves, Anne, and Jill from Asics for setting everything up this weekend for Sophia and I! Next up Saskatoon Triathlon on June 30th.

Good to see Mason Raymond out wearing Asics. Running next year??

Original Tips
#1 Have confidence in your training
#2 Focus on your Effort and Attitude
#3 Stay properly fueled and hydrated before, and during the race
#4 Pamper yourself
#5 Don’t do anything new for race day
#6 Practice your routine
#7 Have everything packed the night before
#8 Have a Physical and Mental Game Plan
#9 Cheer on other Competitors
#10 Get Ugly Out There

Thanks to The Bike Barn, 30 Minute Hit, Sunrise Pharmacy and Peach City Runners for supporting the event and making me feel like a rockstar.

Also be sure to check out Penticton's Party Band One Too Many at the Barking Parrot Saturday May 25th. Find out how you can help make Challenge Penticton a success or have "One Too Many" and sign up for the race yourself!

Play this song as you read the race report to get the real race experience as they played it on repeat race morning!

First off everything that people say about how hard and epic Ironman is 100%
true and to quote the Gringo Gassete Newspaper "That's a long ass
way". (March edition)

Pre Race

Leading up to the race training went really well. I put a lot of the
lessons I learned from 2012 into practice. I think the biggest difference
was following the training program and not trying to do more or less.
Just get it done. As the saying going "If at first you fail, trying
doing what your coach told you the first time". I did a lot of
Indoor riding and coaching spin classes. The positive vibe from the group is
incredible. I can't say thank you enough to everyone who was a part of it.
I rode a few indoor sessions on my own as per the photo below. I was also
able to get out for a few longer outdoor rides for 3-4 hours and a tempo
session for a total of 4 outdoor rides before race day. Two weeks before race
day I started the taper and I felt fit for a 70.3 but really had no idea if I
was prepared for an Ironman. A freaking IRONMAN! The unknown of doing my first
Ironman really stressed me out. What does it feel to get off the bike?
What does the back half of the marathon feel like? How easy is too fast? How
many times will I have to pee? What does coke taste like after 10 litres
of sugary beverages? Where should I get my Tattoo? (kidding)

The latest bike technology Dura-Ace equipped?

Race

I went into the race with the game plan to just get it done, go my pace and
make sure I ran a good back half of the marathon. The whole purpose of the race
was to feel out the distance in preparation for Challenge Penticton this
summer. This way when some of my buddies from high school are watching
and yell "Now's the time to dig deep" I can confident tell myself
"Nope, we are only 2k into the marathon still plenty of time to get
ugly".

Swim

While running a week before the race I saw Tom Evans out running and picked his
brain on all things Ironman. (This is the benefit of living in Penticton, no
matter how fast you go, there is always another guy in your neighborhood that
has gone faster) Tom's Advice was that "2 minutes slower in the swim
equals 12 minutes faster on the run". He echoed what Kevin had told
me and said that "whatever you do in the first bit of the swim sets the
tone for the rest of the day, if you go anaerobic in the swim it is hard to
back off". I took this approach knowing I could easily swim in the
chase pack. On the start line I was super chill. They were pumping some
heavy techno and saying something in Spanish that I think roughly translated to
"Let's hear it for all the Canadians in the Field. Can you Dig it!"
The gun went off and it may have been the multiple Reggae remixes of Adele’s
Set Fire to the Rain they pumped in warmup, or just the Ironman excitement but
I went out a touch harder than I had planned. I tried to stay latched on
the back of the front pack for the first 800m, realized this wasn’t the purpose
of the day, did a few backstrokes and settled in to the chase pack. I
swam in the back of the group for the rest of the swim, which due to the
current on the way home felt like eternity. During T2 I learned
from my last Mexican racing adventure and took the time to spray sunscreen on my
pasty body (see photo below). The Russian guy in my swim pack, whose skin
tone looked like he had been doing some heavy indoor training as well, evidently
did not stop for sunscreen judging by the purple hue of his skin after the
race. His deep red arms blinding white torso made him look like an
Austrian flag after the race.

Mazatlan 2008 Sunburn

Bike

Bad-Ass Shimano Wheels

I hoped on my bike climbed through what was apparently Jennifer Aniston's neighborhood
and got on to the Mexican highway. Coming into the race I thought that
the roads would be full of ruts and craters, but was thrilled to see that we
were on a beautifully paved highway for the entire race! I stuck to my
plan of riding my own watts and letting the other guys ride up the
road. Looking back I was proud of riding alone especially after reading
this from famed triathlon coach Brett Sutton describing the bike course in
Cabo: “the downhills were long and not
steep so a one man hammering was no match for the on-coming groups of
riders especially when the groups had bike monsters in them.”I
wanted to make sure I rode my pace, so I just hunkered down in the aerobars and
put my nose to the wind for the duration of the race. I felt great riding at my
planned watts, though the unknown of how does one feel in the last hour of an
Ironman was weighing heavily on my mind. At around the 130k mark there
was a tent set up with people watching and blaring music "You make me feel
like....I've been locked out of heaven... For too Long ohhhh ong".
They sparked some positive energy and got me feeling awesome. There may have
been some dancing…and singing. After the last turnaround by the airport there
was a 10km section into a strong headwind. At that point in the race the
aero position felt all kinds of uncomfortable to maintain, and I have
never been so happy for a hill just so I could sit up. After the race my
forearms had huge lumps from the aerobars that made it look like I had gone
five round Jon Jones or GSP.

Run

Rocking the Ryders Via

I found out what it feels like to run off the bike in an Ironman, it feels like
you have over-biked a Half Ironman. Coming from the Penticton winter I
knew staying cool would be especially important given the 30+ degree heat. They
were handing out 500ml bags of water that you rip open with your teeth. I
grabbed as many as I could and dumped them all over myself. I figure I
must have grabbed at least 100 bags by the time it was all said and done.
I also rocked an Asics French Foreign Legion style hat. As goofy as I looked
during the race I looked even stranger trying it out in Penticton with
temperatures close to freezing. I ran in the Asics Fuji Racer and wore
socks and was thrilled to not have any issues with blisters the entire
race. The run course was three laps and the last 2 miles included a cruel
double out and back section before you headed to the finish. On this
section I saw Maik Twelsiak up the road and thought I might be able to put in a
strong finish to catch him. I made the pass with only about 600m to go
and the thrill of moving into 4th and finishing my first Ironman had me super
excited and jacked up when I crossed that finish line. I found out what
that back half or the marathon feels like. It was pure suffering for
about 25k. Not running fast just suffering. With about 10k to go I
had to keep telling myself, "Whatever you do, don't walk, just keep
running".

Post-race

The post-race euphoria lasted about 10 minutes and then it
hit me. I felt like death, I thought for sure I was going to throw up or
pass out. I jumped in the cold tub, and laid down on the ground for a
while and questioned whether I would want to do another Ironman. It’s
amazing how short your memory is as about a few hours after the race you think,
That wasn’t so bad.When you wake up the
next morning, Sign me up!! Let’s do that again!The post-race massage was amazing! It was about an hour long and two
girls massaged you at the same time. You would have to pay a lot of money
for that at the topless sports bar across the street from our Condo!

The next day I woke up feeling surprisingly good. We spent a
lot of time walking around, going to the beach, and eating. I hoped on the bike
for 30 minutes just to flush out my legs. By Tuesday I was on a flight back to
Canada because if I had stayed in Mexico any longer I would have gone soft. And
I missed my girlfriend Sophia and our dog Oslo (sometimes it’s her dog,
sometimes it’s ours…depends if he’s dug a hole in the yard or not). I went for
my first run on Wednesday and felt great. With the advice of Kevin, I’m keeping
things light and easy for the next few weeks; doing one or two things a day for
about an hour. I’m also getting everything done that I said, “I’ll do that
after the Ironman.”

Overall I had an awesome experience and was thrilled to finish in 4th place in 8:37. More importantly I am glad I was able to
stick to the plan and have an enjoyable first Ironman. I am so stoked on the
distance and excited to do another one. It’s fair to say I’m hooked.

4 Powergels + water to wash down gels
Gatorade and or Coke at every aid station = A LOT!

Post-Race

Topingless pizza and delicious Tacos (Beef, Shrimp,
Chicken...)

Thanks to Orbea, Orca, Shimano, Pro, Powerbar,The Bike Barn, Kevin Cutjar,
Ryders Eyewear, Asics, EVOC, and everyone else who has helped me have
the opportunity to compete. Flying West Jet with the EVOC Bike Bag I only had to pay a $20 bike fee each way!

Here's a video Sophia and I made from the Indoor Triathlon. Everyone had a blast, from first time triathletes to seasoned Ultraman veterans. The 15min swim, 30 min bike, 20 min run format did a great job of tearing down the fear of completing a triathlon. It was all what you personally could do and everyone finished at the same time. It was a great way to get people stoked on the sport and pumped up for the summer racing. The post race buffet and draw prizes were amazing! The food and draw prizes alone were worth as much as the $52 entry fee! Should be bigger and better next year. Come check it out or start one in your community!

I am thrilled to announce that I will be racing the inaugural Challenge Penticton this year! It was a really tough decision as it means that I will be unable to compete at Vegas for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, however the opportunity to race in my hometown and help build the race was too much to turn down. I can't say enough about how fortunate I am to have grown up since preschool in the home of Canada's best triathlon and a town that really is the Heart and Soul of Triathlon in Canada. The influence of the race on my life and more so the people that it has attracted, is massive. I have met a ton of amazing people and I owe %100 of my success to them. It was an amazing feeling to see so many of those people at the Open House when my decision to race was formally announced.

The race has a huge impact on the local economy, but most importantly the race brings thousands of outstanding role model to our community every year. The race really showcases that if you believe in yourself and work hard enough you can achieve anything. It empowers not just the finishers but those that support the race and see first hand the courage and determination that the athletes who finish between 8-17+ hours exemplify. The event has inspired me to pursue my dreams and I am going to do everything I can to make sure the race in Penticton is a huge success. I want to make sure everyone in Penticton continues to be inspired the way I have every year during the last weekend in August.

The last time I raced Austin, temperatures were north of 30 for the run and I and it hit me like a freight train with around 5k to go. This time around the weather was the complete opposite with the temperature at a chilly 5.5 degrees when we headed out on the bike. I picked up a long sleeve compression shirt from WalMart on the way home from the pro meeting. This may have been the best $13.95 I have ever spent. I wore the shirt under my wetsuit and although it felt a little heavy in the swim, I passed about 5 people in transition and was definitely glad I had it during the early stages of the bike. Some of the other guys that I passed looked completely frozen. I used not only the shirt, but also my Canadian winter training as a source of confidence and rode harder and more watts that I have before to have the second fastest ride of the day. In the end I over biked a bit and paid for it on the run, but I took a risk and built some confidence and finished a solid fourth in a tough field on a gnarly day. I am confident next time I'll be able to ride that pace and stick the run afterwards.

Winter has hit back here in Canada and that means the start of the spinning season. I am thrilled to be back coaching workouts with the Impact Multisport crew. The spin classes are a great source of positive energy from the otherwise dry activity of riding the wind trainer. My brother, Mike, has signed up for the first time so that adds a new element of fun. I picked up a copy of the Feed Zone Cookbook while down in Austin and have been working my way through a lot of the recipes. My diet and cooking skills has always been somewhat lacking and I think refining it will have a huge impact on how I feel and ultimately how I perform race day. If nothing else it's going to taste damn good.

Let's cut straight to the good stuff. This is Oslo. Sophia and I picked him up yesterday while in Kelowna. He is a Border Collie / Great Pyrenees Cross. As the girls selling girl guide cookies said yesterday, "He is Adorable!". Now on to the race talk.

I had a great time running the half at the BMO Okanagan Marathon yesterday. The race is a great event that has over 3000 athletes over the course of two days. The Half Marathon alone has 1700 people in it. I felt great and was able to cruise to the win in 1:13. Not the fastest I have gone, but effort wise I though it would have been a 1:16 so that is awesome heading into Rev3 South Carolina next weekend. There has been a lot of talk about Kelowna's lack of volunteers as a pitfall to the cities Ironman Canada bid, yesterday however Kelowna stepped it up and had a great crew of volunteers! It was way better than previous years of this race. As a Pentictonite I am stoked on the Challenge, however as a triathlete and a triathlon fan it was awesome to see the town buzzing over the Marathon and potential Ironman. It was blasted all over the radio and you could hear everyone talking about it. From a business point of view I am not sure how it is all going to work out, but I think that the competition between Challenge and Ironman (wherever in Canada might be) is going to have a huge benefit for the athletes and increase the profile of our sport and most importantly increase participation of our sport throughout the Okanagan and the Province. Getting people inspired and involved in the triathlon lifestyle is really what it is all about.

I am super excited to have made it into the Promo video for the new Orbea Ordu. I was unbelievably lucky to have the opportunity to work with Scott Warren of Orbea and Dave Salazar at the A2 Windtunnel in North Carolina. I learned a ton! It is a huge honour to be able to represent Orbea, Shimano, The Bike Barn and Podium Imports. I'll post pics of the new race rig tomorrow, it's a real beauty!

This weekend Sophia and I made the trip out to Vancouver Island for the Sooke International triathlon. The race has a Chase division for the pro category and is broadcast nationally on TSN. For those not familiar with the chase format, the girls start out 15 minutes ahead of the guys and there is a bonus for whomever reaches the finish line first. It's a welcome change and ensure that you push hard right to the finish line.

The Swim broke apart quickly with Andrew McCartney setting the pace. I hopped on my bike in third and set off on the tough bike course. There is just as much elevation change on the Sooke Course as there is at the 70.3 World in Vegas except that Vegas is 90km whereas Sooke packs all of the hills into its 40km course. I threw on a 11-27 cassette to make sure I could make it up the hills without totally grinding.

I was able to catch back up to Andrew at the second transition and we headed out on the run course together. He opened up a bit of a gap but I slowly closed it (We'll closed it twice as I stopped to grab the Honey Stinger gel I dropped) and we were side by side running out on Whiffin Spit. This was where we caught Lisa Mensink who was the second overall women so hopefully this will make for some good TV on TSN. I was able to pull away from Andrew on the second half of the run to win the mens portion, but couldn't catch Magali Tisserye who finished a couple of minutes ahead.
http://triseries.ca/news_article.php?id=283

It was a really fun trip and we pack a ton of stuff into the 5 days we were gone. Central Park run, Stanley Park ride, Swimming with Seals, Sooke Potholes, Hobie Kyaks, West Coast Buffet, Dinner with Kate and Kyle, post race celebration dinner.... Too many good times to count.

I have done up some videos in anticipation of the Oliver Half Iron on June 3rd. The videos highlights some race tips for the Oliver Half Iron as well as Half Ironman and triathlon in general. The video share some of the things I think about during a Half Ironman and highlights the beautiful course and serves as a great way of preparing and visualizing for the event. I had an epic battle there with Paul Tichelaar in 2010 and can't say enough good things about the event. This year I'll be racing in Boise the following weekend but look forward to cheering everyone on in Oliver.

There is still a couple of days left to sign up HERE
Or if you want something shorter, there is an Olympic Distance race on virtually the same course on June 17 which can be found HERE.

If you have any questions about the race, let me know. I hope everyone has an awesome day out there!

Yesterday was the Bare Bones Duathlon here in Penticton. The race was also the BC Duathlon Championships and because it has a little bit of prize money, the race usually attracts a strong field. It was my first race back since the butt injury that plagued me all spring. IT FEELS DAMN GOOD TO BE BACK! And even better to be injury free. Fitness is not quite at 100 percent but it is a lot better than I thought, and each workout things keep getting better and better. Coach Kevin Cutjar has put the plan in the place and I am getting excited heading into Boise. Thanks to Justin Birks, Wade Carlson, Eddie Smith, Trev Williams, Graham Hood, Jeremy Hopwood Scott Tremblay among others for providing the push out there yesterday and thanks to the Bike Barn for letting me take off from work early to do the race. Congrats to Christine Ridenour for winning the womens race. Thanks to Shimano, PRO, Orbea, Orca, EVOC, Adidas and Ryders for providing the tools to go hard.
Check out the video here, and be sure to sign up next year!

I just got sent this video from the KISU celebrity swim meet back in February. They must have used some leftover footage to create a video on our training. It highlights the Penticton Aquatics Facility really well.

Today was the 33rd Ski2Sea race in Kelowna. Aart assembled a very competitive Bike Barn team and we were able to repeat as the overall winners. I'll try and get a more detailed report up soon but for check out our highlight video